Monday, February 29, 2016

Dedicated to enhancing the work of journalists
and promoting effective governance using technology in Africa, Penplusbytes has
published the first comprehensive Social Media Index(SMI) reporton Ghana's print, and electronic media -
Radio and Television.

The SMI report assesses and ranks the
vitality of social media platforms managed by various media outfits in Ghana by
reviewing their numbers of followers, page Likes and to a considerable extent,
regularity, interval of posts and level of engagement. This feeds into
determining which outfits are best represented on Facebook and Twitter by media
type.

The report looks at the performance of
established newspapers, radio and TV stations in Ghana regarding their activity
and following on social media as at early February, 2016; measuring how these
media entities utilize their online platforms to reach out and engage their
target audiences by employing a quantitative research module. This module
provides relevant numerical figures which informs the rankings.

According to the report, which is downloadable here, media outfits,
Citi FM and Joy FM demonstrate immense influence on Facebook by coming tops in
first and second place respectively. Other radio stations that include YFM,
Adom FM and Nhyira FM closes out the top 5 radio stations with the most page
likes and following on Facebook.

Joy FM and Citi FM, again, ranked in 1st
and 2nd place respectively as the two stations with the most following and
engagement on Twitter. Other highly ranked stations include YFM, Live FM, Starr
FM and Peace FM, in that order. The report spells out in details similar
indices on Television and Newspaper outfits in Ghana.

According to Kwami Ahiabenu, II, Executive
Director of Penplusbytes, there appears a shift by Ghana’s newsrooms towards
the integration of new media strategies like social media in news
dissemination. “This report essentially evaluates how visible such entities
presently are on social media - Facebook and Twitter specifically, as
indicators of the extent to which they are engaging their audience in a virtual
space,” he stated.

As internet penetration increases and more
people get onto social media platforms, it is predicted that journalists and
newsroom managers would slowly but surely transition to becoming more relevant
onsocial media in order to connect with
the public and promote themselves and become even more germane in this digital
age.

About

Penplusbytes is a not-for-profit organization driving change through
innovations in three key areas: using new digital technologies to enable good
governance and accountability, new media and innovations, and driving oversight
for effective utilisation of mining, oil and gas revenue and resources.